Tag Archives: history

What, it’s already September? Yes… and gorgeous here in Seattle as summer wanes, with a hint of fall in the crisp morning air. We’ve been busy with a new baybee and the day job, plus bicycle-delivering to our CSA subscribers, prepping hives for fall and winter, and extracting honey.

Our way of extracting dates from the 1860s… with movable frames (via Langstroth, 1851), and a centrifugal extractor (Francesco De Hruschka, 1865). We uncap the frames (see pix), then put them in a big steel extractor which flings the honey out. Then we bottle it—that’s it. Wow, techniques that are 150 years old!

That’s all well and good, but there are older and simpler ways… check out this Kattunayakan boy from Southern India, with his giant honeycomb… it will be crushed and strained of honey. (We came to this link via the excellent Ethnobeeology page.)

So when will our honey be available? Soon, very soon. We are bottling now and will have news on CSA enrollment, the new salve, and more. Stay tuned, and enjoy the sunshine!